Dentist issues warning to smokers over ‘vaper’s tongue’
More bad news for vapers, as a dentist has urged smokers to be aware of 'vaper's tongue'.
With the news of disposable vapes being banned breaking late last year, there has been wave after wave of bad news for vape users.
The UK is cracking down on the so called 'epidemic', with vapes becoming extremely popular among the younger generations.
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These colourful fruit-flavoured sticks are addictive to the thousands of teens who puff on them, with the government looking to decrease the number of flavours available.
It has been detrimental to the health of a lot of the UK's youth, as children have been left in comas, and parents are scared that they have lost their kids to vapes.
E-cigarettes were originally made for cigarette smokers as a way to quit, but it has become harder to quit than the originals, if studies are to be believed.
If you do still plan to continue vaping, a dental expert has just come out and revealed another damning reason to stop.
Apparently, vaping can cause you to have 'vaper's tongue', according to Dr Rhona Eskander from dentalphobia.co.uk.
Speaking to Metro, the dentist began to explain: “It refers to a loss or reduction in a person's ability to taste flavours when vaping."
“Vaper's tongue, or the temporary loss or reduction in the ability to taste flavours when vaping, can occur for several reasons when using vape devices.”
One of these reasons is 'olfactory fatigue', which is when you become 'desensitised to the flavour' due to your nose.
Other causes are: 'Overexposure to certain flavours', dehydration, smoking history and individual variability.
Although vaper's tongue sounds serious, it is not 'inherently dangerous', instead being more annoying and frustrating to the user than anything.
Luckily, it is a 'temporary and reversible condition', meaning that it doesn't pose a serious or direct danger to your health.
The dentist adds: “However, the concern with vaper's tongue lies in the potential for it to mask other health issues.
"In some cases, persistent or severe taste issues might be indicative of underlying oral health problems or even systemic health issues."
Dr Eskander recommends that if you experience any taste problems while vaping or using any other nicotine products, you should consult a healthcare professional or a dentist to check for more serious health issues.
If you insist on vaping, it is recommended that you switch flavours often and stay hydrated.
A no brainer on the latter, there.
The medical expert also tells vape users: “Try smelling coffee beans or other strong, neutral scents to 'reset' their olfactory senses.”
Well, if you needed another reason to stop, there have it.
Joshua Nair